USA Today (NYSE:TDAY) Stock Breaks Below 50-Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• USA Today shares fell below their 50-day moving average of $6.98, reaching a low of $6.26 and last trading at $6.35 on volume of about 2.69 million shares.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: the stock carries an average “Hold” rating and a $9.03 consensus price target, with ratings ranging from Buy to Sell. Citizens JMP raised its target to $10, while other firms maintained or downgraded their views.
• Institutional investors own approximately 76.71% of the company, with several major funds—including BlackRock, Two Seas Capital and Alta Fundamental Advisers—having recently established positions.

USA Today Co. (NYSE:TDAY - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $6.98 and traded as low as $6.26. USA Today shares last traded at $6.35, with a volume of 2,688,557 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on TDAY. Citizens Jmp upped their target price on USA Today from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. New Street Research set a $8.05 price objective on shares of USA Today in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of USA Today in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Wall Street Zen cut USA Today from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of USA Today from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, USA Today has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $9.03.

USA Today Trading Up 0.8%

The company's 50 day moving average price is $6.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.39. The company has a market cap of $932.31 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.17 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.81.

Institutional Trading of USA Today

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Two Seas Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of USA Today during the 4th quarter worth about $74,946,000. Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in USA Today in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $58,346,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in USA Today in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $89,866,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in USA Today in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,972,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of USA Today during the second quarter worth approximately $29,881,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.71% of the company's stock.

USA Today Company Profile

USA TODAY is a U.S. news media brand that publishes national and local news through its print newspaper, website, mobile applications and other digital platforms. Its coverage includes politics, business, sports, entertainment, technology, lifestyle and consumer topics.

Founded in 1982, USA TODAY was developed as a nationally distributed newspaper with an emphasis on accessible writing, visual presentation and broad geographic coverage. The brand also produces newsletters, video content, podcasts and other digital media, and operates within the broader USA TODAY NETWORK of local news organizations.

USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co, Inc, which operates newspapers and digital news properties across the United States.

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